Answers

It sounds like couch grass, a real pest! Leave even a tiny piece of root in and it spreads like mad. Hoeing only makes it worse.......something like Glyphosate weedkiller can be effective but possibly better in spring when growing strongly, its best to read the label before using it and be careful it doesnt splash on any leaves or flowers

Grass is what grows on vacant ground and there is NO 'solution' other than hand weeding. Would we really prefer ground that has been rendered semi sterile where nothing would grow other than what we planted? The growth of weeds and grass is an indication that your soil is still in good heart and that things can germinate in it!
If this sounds unsympathetic, then let me tell you that I spent several days in September weeding and mulching all my deep beds. Now, after a mild October, they are covered in a thick growth of new fresh grass!
This is just gardening; there are no quick solutions unless you want to drench your ground in destructive chemicals. If you think glyphosate or 'Roundup' is harmless, just read some of the most recent research reports. And it is NOT deactivated on contact with the soil..as Monsanto itself admits.
Gardening requires lots of time and effort. Sorry, but that is the truth!

It's an absolute pest! I thought, having emptied my borders of precious plants and gone down the weeding and then glyphosate route last year, that I should have a break from the darned stuff, bit this year it seems to be back ever stronger. I'm alarmed to read your comments about "Roundup" Bertie. I notice Monsanto isn't too free with that information on their bottles.

I would look to see if I could lift the plants then thoroughly dig the grass out. If it is couch then most of it would come out quite easily with the careful use of a border fork. In following years you would have to watch and hand weed out smaller pieces as they emerged.

I have had the same problem this year. It seems to grow much higher in my flower beds than on my lawn. I thought it was because I had barked all my flower beds and that there was possibly some sort of seed mixed in with the bark.

It just seems to grow quicker than I can pull it! It seems to grow thicker around plants too which is a real pain. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to spend in the garden this summer to keep on top of it more BUT I've never noticed it as an issue before. Maybe like pang says its because if all the wet weather we've had.

i get couch in my flower borders on both sides, more noticably on the shady side,so i asume that it is chasing through from my neighbours. so when it gets my goat by coming through the flowers, i go next door and deep weed 18 inches of her garden away from the fence,seems to work but only in the short term.
[good job i get on well with both sides,maggie on the right just smiles and says,oh! are my weeds coming through again, must do some gardening but don't have the time, bless her,she does work all the time]